As the internet industry has shifted to a higher level of authentication, offering benefits to both consumers and companies—such as personalization, reduced friction in engagement/purchases, and data collection—there has also been a rise in services assisting consumers and businesses with authentication. Core to this is Federated Authentication, also known as Federated Identity.
Federated Identity streamlines the authentication process, exemplified by features such as "Login with Facebook" or "Login with Google."
Instead of managing distinct logins for each site, visitors can employ a single trusted login, centrally managed by a trusted provider, to seamlessly access multiple websites. This eliminates the need for multiple passwords and enhances efficiency in using online platforms.
Federated Identity follows the OpenID Connect standard. The source site navigates to the identity provider, which authenticates the user. Upon success, the identity provider redirects back to the original site using tokens and cookies to transfer and store identification information.
Users interact with the identity provider to log in, giving consent during the first and subsequent visits. While convenient, this method has drawbacks:
At the core of the AdFixus platform is our patented method, Anonymous Federated Identity (AFxID).
Unlike traditional Federated Identity, AdFixus does not require, collect, store, or commercialize consumer data.
ACME Corporation obtains a single AFxID, exclusively owned and applicable throughout their ecosystem for purposes like personalization, attribution, customer journey management, media optimization, and analysis.
This process requires consumer consent before the identifier is generated and stored in the consumer’s browser. The AFxID is decentralized, residing in the client’s browser, and unique for each visited corporation, preventing open sharing with third parties.
AdFixus preserves anonymity by not using any personal information, including browser signals, and applies multiple layers of encryption.
ACME Corporation can capture and store the identifier along with personal information supplied by the consumer (e.g., as part of a loyalty program). To ensure consumers remain in control, AdFixus provides the ability to remove or recreate their identifier at any time.
